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Re: [rootsradicals] Tires for Big Dummy

Jeez, questions for me. Big Apples have low rolling resistance, are light for their size, have a kevlar belt that stops a lot of punctures, though not all.

Message 1 of 28
, Feb 6, 2012

Jeez, questions for me.

Big Apples have low rolling resistance, are light for their size, have a kevlar belt that stops a lot of punctures, though not all.
They're fun tires.

Studded snow tires (I have some, they've been almost useless this winter around here) are good on ice.
In my opinion, your best bet is probably Nokian W106, front and rear.
You can get them from http://peterwhitecycles.com/studdedtires.asp , especially if you are in the New England area.

Another good choice is the Nokian W240.
DO NOT get the Schwalbe Snow Stud for the front; it's okay for the rear.
W106 gets you the most bang for your buck; snow tires aren't cheap.

No matter what snow tire you get, you'll find that they are loud on pavement, and a lot more rolling resistance.
I keep checking the weather here, wondering if we are going to completely miss all the snow and ice this winter, in which case, off mine will come.

David

On 2012-02-06, at 11:43 AM, polarbear1101 wrote:

> Who can give me some advice on tires for the Big Dummy? I ride about 15 miles daily, mainly hard gravel and city streets. I have no car so I often carry loads as well. I have Continental Town & Country tires on the bike right now and I like them quite a bit.
>
> I do have 2 problems:
> 1) On a monthly basis I have a flat tire because of glass etc and am therefore considering the Marathon Plus from Schwalbe. Anybody using that tire?
> 2) I'm frequently riding on snow and ice right now now and fell twice already :( If I can't get a good allrounder with a better grip in those conditions, does anybody have advice on good winter tires?
>
> I have heard a lot of people using the Big Apple tires on their dummy. What are the advatages of that tire?
> Thanks!

rltilley@gmail.com

I m happy with the stock Contis on the Dummy since I care more about flat resistance than ride quality. I ve used Big Apples on other bikes and think that are

Message 2 of 28
, Feb 6, 2012

I'm happy with the stock Contis on the Dummy since I care more about flat resistance than ride quality. I've used Big Apples on other bikes and think that are great tires. I didn't have enough time on them to get an idea of how they are as far as flat resistance goes.

On a touring list I am on a high mileage tourer just had a really bad experience with the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. Truck tire wires were the culprit. Apparently the Marathons do a poor job of keeping them out. Not sure if he had the Kevlar version or not.

Who can give me some advice on tires for the Big Dummy? I ride about 15 miles daily, mainly hard gravel and city streets. I have no car so I often carry loads as well. I have Continental Town & Country tires on the bike right now and I like them quite a bit.

I do have 2 problems:
1) On a monthly basis I have a flat tire because of glass etc and am therefore considering the Marathon Plus from Schwalbe. Anybody using that tire?
2) I'm frequently riding on snow and ice right now now and fell twice already :( If I can't get a good allrounder with a better grip in those conditions, does anybody have advice on good winter tires?

I have heard a lot of people using the Big Apple tires on their dummy. What are the advatages of that tire?
Thanks!

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I have the Nokian Mount & Ground w160 tires for winter commuting, and I couldn t be happier. There have been many times when I had no idea the road was icy

Message 3 of 28
, Feb 6, 2012

I have the Nokian Mount & Ground w160 tires for winter commuting, and I couldn't be happier. There have been many times when I had no idea the road was icy until I tried to put my foot down. As long as I'm rolling I don't worry about sliding.

For my regular tires I have panaracer crosstown 1.75's. It seems like most people like wide cushy tires, but for some reason the narrower tires suit me better. Anyway, I chose these because they have extra rubber to give more flat protection not just a kevlar belt.

I think I had a bad Big Apple, so I'm not going to elaborate. I will just say that if I hadn't read so many raving reviews of it I wouldn't hold back with my disappointment. I really think mine was just a bad tire prone to flats.

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, "polarbear1101" <polarbear1101@...> wrote:
>
> Who can give me some advice on tires for the Big Dummy? I ride about 15 miles daily, mainly hard gravel and city streets. I have no car so I often carry loads as well. I have Continental Town & Country tires on the bike right now and I like them quite a bit.
>
> I do have 2 problems:
> 1) On a monthly basis I have a flat tire because of glass etc and am therefore considering the Marathon Plus from Schwalbe. Anybody using that tire?
> 2) I'm frequently riding on snow and ice right now now and fell twice already :( If I can't get a good allrounder with a better grip in those conditions, does anybody have advice on good winter tires?
>
> I have heard a lot of people using the Big Apple tires on their dummy. What are the advatages of that tire?
> Thanks!
>

Proxy

I run 700x35 SMP on 23mm salsa delgado rims for about 2y now. I ve only had one flat, it was a nail directly thru the kevelar belt. The rubber compound of

Message 4 of 28
, Feb 7, 2012

I run 700x35 SMP on 23mm salsa delgado rims for about 2y now. I've only had one flat, it was a nail directly thru the kevelar belt. The rubber compound of those tires seems to resist gravel and staples super well, I don't tend to pick things out of the tires because they don't hold debris.

When it's icy out, I switch to a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Winter and they seem nice and stable, safe than walking on glare ice with Yak Traks on my shoes, certainly. At the modest rate I use those SMWs, I'm going to have them forever. Have not lost any studs, my commute is ~7mi one way.

I don't need to plow thru snow, so luckily I don't really require lugged snow tires, my major streets get plowed well enough.

Steve Fuller

Studs are really only helpful (IMO) if there s a lot of ice around. If it s just snow, all they do is get down to the pavement and wear down and cause drag.

Message 5 of 28
, Feb 7, 2012

Studs are really only helpful (IMO) if there's a lot of ice around. If it's just snow, all they do is get down to the pavement and wear down and cause drag.

You might consider a wider tire at a lower pressure to get a wider footprint as an option. I've also seen bike "chains" that fit around a tire and can be put on and removed depending on when the weather is good or bad. I will be honest in saying that I don't ride my BD in snow so I don't have any practical experience, but I do ride cross bikes, MTBs and my Salsa Mukluk on ice and snow.

Steve

Andrew Kreps

... What s the breakdown of miles on gravel vs streets? Also, is there any serious climbing/descending?

Who can give me some advice on tires for the Big Dummy? I ride about 15 miles daily, mainly hard gravel and city streets.

What's the breakdown of miles on gravel vs streets? Also, is there any serious climbing/descending?

David Backeberg

... Well, the Schwalbe Marathon Winters that several people have mentioned have carbide studs that wear incredibly well. I m on my third winter with mine. It

Message 7 of 28
, Feb 7, 2012

>Studs are really only helpful (IMO) if there's a >lot of ice around. If it's just snow, all they do is >get down to the pavement and wear down and >cause drag.

Well, the Schwalbe Marathon Winters that several people have mentioned
have carbide studs that wear incredibly well. I'm on my third winter
with mine. It is true that traditional old-school steel studs would
wear down after a while on bare pavement, but I haven't seen anybody
recommend those kind of tires.

The rubber compound is soft, and smart. Basically, the physics says
that if you're on ice, the stud is going to bite into ice. If you are
on bare pavement, there will be more noise, but most of the stud
recesses into the tire. Between those physics and the fact that it's a
very hard steel alloy, the studs are quite nice.

Yes, they're overkill on bare pavement. Snow hides ice, so you can't
tell whether you're on snow or ice. Darkness, which there is much more
of in the winter, also hides ice. You don't know where there's an ice
patch until you're already on it, and then it's too late. The original
poster says he already went down twice. I went down in 2008 and broke
a finger at the joint; I spent a fortune on physical therapy, had
surgery, and will never have the range of motion I used to have. I'm
not going to stop riding in the winter, so I take the precautions I
can take.

Not everybody rides with a helmet either, but it's really cheap
mitigation to lessen the chance of a brain injury. I feel the same way
about studs for winter riding.

michael kestner

http://www.singlespeedoutlaw.com/main/articles/homemadestuddedtires.shtml There s these also if you want to DIY and save some $$ Mike

>Studs are really only helpful (IMO) if there's a >lot of ice around. If it's just snow, all they do is >get down to the pavement and wear down and >cause drag.

Well, the Schwalbe Marathon Winters that several people have mentioned
have carbide studs that wear incredibly well. I'm on my third winter
with mine. It is true that traditional old-school steel studs would
wear down after a while on bare pavement, but I haven't seen anybody
recommend those kind of tires.

The rubber compound is soft, and smart. Basically, the physics says
that if you're on ice, the stud is going to bite into ice. If you are
on bare pavement, there will be more noise, but most of the stud
recesses into the tire. Between those physics and the fact that it's a
very hard steel alloy, the studs are quite nice.

Yes, they're overkill on bare pavement. Snow hides ice, so you can't
tell whether you're on snow or ice. Darkness, which there is much more
of in the winter, also hides ice. You don't know where there's an ice
patch until you're already on it, and then it's too late. The original
poster says he already went down twice. I went down in 2008 and broke
a finger at the joint; I spent a fortune on physical therapy, had
surgery, and will never have the range of motion I used to have. I'm
not going to stop riding in the winter, so I take the precautions I
can take.

Not everybody rides with a helmet either, but it's really cheap
mitigation to lessen the chance of a brain injury. I feel the same way
about studs for winter riding.

David Dannenberg

I have been running enormous Maxxus Hookworms, the biggest, I think 2.5 maybe. Good tough tire, low rolling resistance when kept pumped to maximum pressure.

Message 9 of 28
, Feb 7, 2012

I have been running enormous Maxxus Hookworms, the biggest, I think 2.5" maybe. Good tough tire, low rolling resistance when kept pumped to maximum pressure. No problem in rain. No big problems on light snow--a dusting to an inch (I don't ride in deep stuff). Handle loads fine. Seem to be pretty flat resistant, and handle curbs, loads, rocks, etc very well (though can be jarring with high pressure). Look great! Are heavy as can be though. If the Schwable were available in wider size would consider them.

HTH

David Dannenberg

Pete Beers

My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They ve got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of

Message 10 of 28
, Feb 7, 2012

My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They've got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of multi-surface miles on them and they're still going strong. I can't believe how durable they've been. Since installing them I've had 0 flats. None. Zilch. Bupkis.

I can't imagine running anything but them on my Dummy.

Pete

Edward Hensley

The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find them only at UK sites. Any in the US? Ed Ed Hensley Grass Valley

Message 11 of 28
, Feb 7, 2012

The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find them only at UK sites. Any in the US?

Ed

<><><><><><><><><>
Ed Hensley
Grass Valley CA USA
<><><><><><><><><>

On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:07 AM, Pete Beers wrote:

> My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They've got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of multi-surface miles on them and they're still going strong. I can't believe how durable they've been. Since installing them I've had 0 flats. None. Zilch. Bupkis.

Pete Beers

I got my Marathon Extremes from a local shop. Sent from my iPad On Feb 8, 2012, at 2:07 AM, Edward Hensley wrote: The Marathon Extremes

The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find them only at UK sites. Any in the US?

Ed

<><><><><><><><><>
Ed Hensley
Grass Valley CA USA
<><><><><><><><><>

On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:07 AM, Pete Beers wrote:

> My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They've got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of multi-surface miles on them and they're still going strong. I can't believe how durable they've been. Since installing them I've had 0 flats. None. Zilch. Bupkis.

michael kestner

I found a site that shows you how to make your own studded tires using sheet metal if you are into DIY stuff.

Message 13 of 28
, Feb 8, 2012

I found a site that shows you how to make your own studded tires using sheet metal if you are into DIY stuff.

The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find them only at UK sites. Any in the US?

Ed

<><><><><><><><><>
Ed Hensley
Grass Valley CA USA
<><><><><><><><><>

On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:07 AM, Pete Beers wrote:

> My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They've got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of multi-surface miles on them and they're still going strong. I can't believe how durable they've been. Since installing them I've had 0 flats. None. Zilch. Bupkis.

The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find them only at UK sites. Any in the US?

Ed

<><><><><><><><><>
Ed Hensley
Grass Valley CA USA
<><><><><><><><><>

On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:07 AM, Pete Beers wrote:

> My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They've got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of multi-surface miles on them and they're still going strong. I can't believe how durable they've been. Since installing them I've had 0 flats. None. Zilch. Bupkis.

The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find them only at UK sites. Any in the US?

Ed

<><><><><><><><><>
Ed Hensley
Grass Valley CA USA
<><><><><><><><><>

On Feb 7, 2012, at 11:07 AM, Pete Beers wrote:

> My personal favorites are the Schwalbe Marathon Extreme 26x2.25. They roll relatively smoothly. They've got lots of tread for gravel. They have THOUSANDS of multi-surface miles on them and they're still going strong. I can't believe how durable they've been. Since installing them I've had 0 flats. None. Zilch. Bupkis.

Andrew Kreps

... Your US connection: http://www.universalcycles.com/search.php?q=schwalbe+marathon I ran a pair of Supremes for about 2,000 miles. The rear was quite

I ran a pair of Supremes for about 2,000 miles. The rear was quite toasty by then, though the front still has more life. No flats. I'm partial to Universal because they're Portland based which means I can pick up in-person. Nice folks, but less LBS than some prefer.

Neil Schneider

... Wow! I am on the third year running a set of Marathon Supremes and somewhere around 6-8,000 miles and still going strong. I m surprised you only got 2,000

Message 18 of 28
, Feb 8, 2012

Andrew Kreps wrote:

> On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 23:07, Edward Hensley <edwardhensley@...> wrote:
>
>> The Marathon Extremes sound great, and I need new ones for BD, but I find
>> them only at UK sites. Any in the US?
>>
>>
> Your US connection:
> http://www.universalcycles.com/search.php?q=schwalbe+marathon
>
> I ran a pair of Supremes for about 2,000 miles. The rear was quite toasty
> by then, though the front still has more life. No flats. I'm partial to
> Universal because they're Portland based which means I can pick up
> in-person. Nice folks, but less LBS than some prefer.

Wow! I am on the third year running a set of Marathon Supremes and somewhere
around 6-8,000 miles and still going strong. I'm surprised you only got 2,000
out of a set. They have a reputation of longevity and that has been my
experience. Longest lasting tires I've ever had.

gear.head@verizon.net

I like the panaracer hi road v in a 26x1.50. It gives a good balance between ride and rolling resistance. I have not had any flat problems in a year of mixed

Message 19 of 28
, Feb 9, 2012

I like the panaracer hi road v in a 26x1.50. It gives a good balance between ride and rolling resistance. I have not had any flat problems in a year of mixed riding on my BD.Sean

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

From: "polarbear1101" <polarbear1101@...>

Sender: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com

Date: Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:43:50 +0000

To: <rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com>

ReplyTo: rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [rootsradicals] Tires for Big Dummy

Who can give me some advice on tires for the Big Dummy? I ride about 15 miles daily, mainly hard gravel and city streets. I have no car so I often carry loads as well. I have Continental Town & Country tires on the bike right now and I like them quite a bit.

I do have 2 problems:
1) On a monthly basis I have a flat tire because of glass etc and am therefore considering the Marathon Plus from Schwalbe. Anybody using that tire?
2) I'm frequently riding on snow and ice right now now and fell twice already :( If I can't get a good allrounder with a better grip in those conditions, does anybody have advice on good winter tires?

I have heard a lot of people using the Big Apple tires on their dummy. What are the advatages of that tire?
Thanks!

Andrew Kreps

... Interesting! My usage pattern is very hard on rear tires. Urban commuting, hard on the throttle. I also put a couple of 100+ mile days on that rear

Wow! I am on the third year running a set of Marathon Supremes and somewhere

around 6-8,000 miles and still going strong. I'm surprised you only got 2,000
out of a set. They have a reputation of longevity and that has been my
experience. Longest lasting tires I've ever had.

Interesting! My usage pattern is very hard on rear tires. Urban commuting, hard on the throttle. I also put a couple of 100+ mile days on that rear tire, in some good heat. I imagine that'd shred them a bit. As strange as it is to think about, I should probably be rotating my tires. :)

Devian Gilbert

no doubt, rotate tires. these days I ve been on my CAAD10 a lot more which places my BD in cargo use only mode. that is... right now the weather here

Message 21 of 28
, Feb 9, 2012

no doubt, rotate tires.

these days I've been on my CAAD10 a lot more

which places my BD in "cargo use only" mode.

that is... right now the weather here Monterey, Ca is better than our summers, its early february, the ride calendar is quickly coming around.

anyways... I've mostly been using the BD to actually haul things, errands, etc...

I still have a set of Sefras Drifters in 2.0" that I keep using off and on.

at the moment the BD is shod in WTB MutanoRaptors 2.4". I've finally worn them down enough to have them roll well on pavement.

weight eats tyres.

especially if you have to climb, where the tire is grinding into the pavement

those Drifters for about $40 each, are awesome. its hard to imagine a better bang for the buck.

Wow! I am on the third year running a set of Marathon Supremes and somewhere

around 6-8,000 miles and still going strong. I'm surprised you only got 2,000
out of a set. They have a reputation of longevity and that has been my
experience. Longest lasting tires I've ever had.

Interesting! My usage pattern is very hard on rear tires. Urban commuting, hard on the throttle. I also put a couple of 100+ mile days on that rear tire, in some good heat. I imagine that'd shred them a bit. As strange as it is to think about, I should probably be rotating my tires. :)

polarbear1101

Wow, thanks guys for all the great advice!!! Denise

Message 22 of 28
, Feb 27, 2012

Wow, thanks guys for all the great advice!!!
Denise

polarbear1101

Hi Andrew, I live in Munich and ride through the English Garden to University. Therefore more than half of the daily 15 miles are on packed gravel (really

Message 23 of 28
, Feb 27, 2012

Hi Andrew,
I live in Munich and ride through the English Garden to University. Therefore more than half of the daily 15 miles are on packed gravel (really fine). It gets somewhat muddy in the rain/ after the snow melts.
Munich is pretty much completely flat.
Thanks!
Denise

--- In rootsradicals@yahoogroups.com, Andrew Kreps <andrew.kreps@...> wrote:
>
> On Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 08:43, polarbear1101 <polarbear1101@...> wrote:
>
> > Who can give me some advice on tires for the Big Dummy? I ride about 15
> > miles daily, mainly hard gravel and city streets.
> >
> >
> What's the breakdown of miles on gravel vs streets? Also, is there any
> serious climbing/descending?
>

David Dannenberg

I like my 2.5 Maxxus Hookworms in similar conditions on my Big Dummy although I ride lower milage, slightly rougher terrain sometimes than you do. One

Message 24 of 28
, Feb 28, 2012

I like my 2.5" Maxxus Hookworms in similar conditions on my Big Dummy although I ride lower milage, slightly rougher terrain sometimes than you do. One developed an aneurism and Maxxus replaced it. I wore the center of another one smooth after about 2 years and so I replaced it. Very few flats, <1/yr. I keep the tire pressure high--the maximum and they roll very easily. Side walls are stiff, yet they do absorb shock pretty well and are excellent with even very heavy loads and curbs. I think that Hookworms would last you for years under your conditions. Only complaint: they are heavy.

David Dannenberg

Andrew Kreps

... Based on that information, I d stay away from the heavy knobbies since you don t need to grip in dirt. You could even ride a slick on flat gravel and in

I live in Munich and ride through the English Garden to University. Therefore more than half of the daily 15 miles are on packed gravel (really fine). It gets somewhat muddy in the rain/ after the snow melts.Munich is pretty much completely flat.

Based on that information, I'd stay away from the heavy knobbies since you don't need to grip in dirt. You could even ride a slick on flat gravel and in the rain, though I'd stay on the fatter side of the spectrum, say, 1.75" - 2.5" (approx. 4cm-7cm). It makes the ride more enjoyable.

Here's a short list of tires I've ridden and can recommend:

Maxxis Hookworm - Big, beefy. The supersize option.

Schwalbe Big Apple - Great handling characteristics. Reflective/generator strip available as I recall.

Schwalbe Marathon Supreme - Good long distance tire, with some good grippy tread for mashing the pedals on dirt.

I believe the two Schwalbes have a 'liteskin' option, which is a folding kevlar bead that keeps the weight down.

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